Horses Health Card

Ages of Sexual Activity
- female: from 18 months to 25 years
- male: from 2 years (testicular descent can occur up to 2 years)
Cycle in female
Sexual activity occurs from February to August. The duration of the cycle is 3 weeks on average. On this cycle, the duration of estrus (acceptance period of the male) is 6 days on average. The heats are spaced by 15 days. Ovulation takes place at the end of the heat (1 to 2 days before the end)

It is a serious but exceptional viral disease in France. It is inscribed in the redhibitory vices and the diseases reputed contagious.
It is manifested in acute form by hyperthermia, prostration, increased heart rate or chronic form by a succession of hyperthermic seizures, general weakness, locomotor disorders, edema and anemia.

Diarrhea may be of bacterial, viral, parasitic or stress-related origin in the foal.
Call the veterinarian promptly as untreated diarrhea can be fatal to the horse due to the dehydration it causes.
The veterinarian will administer an intestinal dressing (coal) and infuse the horse to rehydrate if necessary. He will also try to determine the cause of the diarrhea in order to refine the treatment (antibiotherapy ...)

It is an affection, classed among the redhibitory vices of the horse, which corresponds to a dilatation of the pulmonary alveoli.
The clinical signs are:
Difficulty breathing: wheezing, increase in amplitude of the movements of the diaphragm and the ribs,
Cough, dry,
Degradation of the general state,
Difficulty in effort: the animal is dusty.

These are recurrent uveitis or inflammation of the uvea (internal vascular structure of the eye). The origins are very varied: viral or bacterial infections; Parasitism; Trauma but also a number of unknown causes (irritant, allergic?).
The symptoms are, first, eye pain, tearing, closing the eyelids, sometimes swelling of the eyelids and then a bluish appearance of the cornea. A myosis (closure of the pupil) and a change in texture and color of the iris are observed.

The duration of gestation is 11 months, the diagnosis being made by ultrasound from the 14th day. The ¾ of the mares foal at night and preferentially at the good season. As a rule, the mare gives birth to a foal, but it can happen (less than 20% of the mares) that a mare gives birth to two young. This kind of "twin" gestation is not without risk. There is no way to predict the timing of foaling accurately.
There are nevertheless some warning signs: swelling of the breasts, pearl milk, the mare becomes restless, nervous, seeks to isolate itself

It is a serious condition due to poorly known lesions of the nervous system. It is one of the crippling vices and is incurable.
It manifests itself in the following way: daze, fixity of gaze, incoherent attitudes, the animal does not react to the various stimuli, if one crosses the anterior limbs, it keeps them in this position ...

The laminitis is a disease of the vascular system of the foot: the foot is no longer well irrigated. The causes of laminitis are various, but all lead to alterations of the foot. It is also a real medical emergency. Predisposing factors are:
The ingestion of an excessive amount of food (grain or grass too rich)
The absorption of water too cold (watering lamina) if the horse is very hot.
Trauma (road warping) eg hard work on hard ground.
Generalized infections
Some corticosteroid treatments
obesity

Scabies is an extremely contagious skin condition due to mites. There are three types that are characterized by their location:
The sarcoptic mange that affects the withers, the head, the neck, the shoulder. It manifests itself through severe itching and the appearance of pimples and crusts leading to depilations on the places mentioned. Extension to the whole body is possible. This itching can disturb the rest of the animal and have important repercussions on the general state of the animal
The psoroptic mange that is localized to the mane. It is less severe than the previous one, but causes severe itching as well as oozing or even bleeding crusts; The hair is ruffled, broken
The chorioptic scabies which mainly concern the limbs (pasterns, balls) with the appearance of crusts, depilations accompanied once again by strong itching. Because of this itching, the animal hits its hoofs against the door of the box, tramples, bites the balls ... resulting in the formation of wounds and crevasses. Extension to guns, then hocks and knees is possible.

After practicing horseback riding for a while, many riders want to acquire a horse. For the lucky ones, and the most financially comfortable, the dream can come true.
But beware, a horse is a demanding animal. It is necessary to take care of it every day, even in bad weather, even if one is tired, etc. Financially, it is an important commitment: besides the costs of "housing", ironwork, feed, etc. ... it is necessary to be able to bear the veterinary expenses, especially in case of hard blow.

1 YEAR OF THE LIFE OF A HORSE = 5 YEARS OF A MAN'S LIFE A HORSE'S LIFE IS 25 YEARS.
The weight
The weight of the horses is very variable since there are small and small (Arab) breeds and so-called heavy breeds (draft horses). Moreover, an individual does not have a scale adapted to the size of his mount. An estimate of the weight is nevertheless necessary to adapt the feed of the horse to his needs and for the administration of many treatments. This estimate is made according to two standard calculations: Live weight = (4.3 x thoracic perimeter) + (2.6 x height at the withers) - 785 or Weight = (chest perimeter) 2 x breast-hip length) / 8700

Ticks are mites that attach to the skin of mammals (including man) preferentially on areas of fine skin, thanks to their rostrum (jaw). They feed on a blood meal that can last up to 3 weeks. On this occasion, they may transmit a number of diseases, including piroplasmosis, a serious disease that can affect your horse. Three species of ticks are frequently encountered and dangerous: Dermacentor, Rhipicephalus and Ixodides. Their activity is maximal in spring and autumn, when the temperature is between 0 ° C and 20 ° C. They are found mainly in forests and woods, private and public gardens, parks, fields, and sometimes even in urban housing.